The Devil's Power  Prologue
by Red Moon Soul
Summary: The "What If?" type of story. What if Luffy ate a different Devil Fruit? This is a prologue to a story or maybe even several I will write about Luffy having a different devil fruit power. It's mostly a description of the manga/anime chapter/episode.


In the East Blue in a bar in Fuusha village one could hear people celebrating something. Laughter and toasts to "Our greatness!" and to someone called Luffy and his craziness could be heard coming from the bar. If someone were to look inside they would see the Pirate crew of the Red-Haired Pirates sitting at the tables, eating and drinking. In front of the bar on a stool sat a black-haired kid who was shouting at a red-haired guy in a straw hat who looked around thirty.

- I am not afraid of pain at all! Next time take me out to sea with you! It didn't hurt one bit!

The red-haired guy looked annoyed and and angry at the kid as he shouted at him.

- Liar! Don't you do something so stupid again you idiot! What would you have done if you poked out your eye, huh!

The kid looked up at the red-haired guy and whined.

- But Shanks! I am really strong! My punch is like a pistol, I keep telling you!

The red-haired man who happened to be the captain of the Red-Haired Pirates sighed. Shanks sat down on a stool next to the kid.

- Listen, Luffy, you can't handle being a pirate! Not being able to swim is a pirate's greatest weakness!

Luffy got up in Shank's face.

- But it'll be alright if I stay on-board the ship!

Some of the people in the bar who were sitting near the duo spoke up.

- Hey, you seem unhappy, Luffy!

- Cheer up! Be happy to be here and now!

- The pirate's life is great!

- The sea is wide and deep! You can go searching for treasures and adventures!

- The freedom is great, Luffy!

Shanks turned to look at the people who decided to cheer Luffy up like that, and with the look of resignation on his face said.

- Don't give him any ideas, idiots...

The big, chubby pirate voiced his thoughts on the matter.

- But it's the truth, right?

All around the room the agreement with the statement was vocalized. Then the party continued as if nothing happened. Shanks turned to Luffy and spoke to him.

- And Luffy? You know it's not about strength or your inability to swim... you are still too young to become a pirate. Wait at least another ten years and I'll reconsider taking you out to sea with us.

Luffy screamed at Shanks again.

- Damnit, Shanks, I am telling you I am not a kid any more!

Shanks moved a glass of juice toward Luffy.

- Here, don't be mad. Drink some juice.

Luffy gulped down the juice as Shanks roared with laughter, tears in his eyes.

- Ahahahahah! You really are a kid! How funny!

Luffy screamed at Shanks about him using dirty tricks, to which Shanks simply replide with a smile that he was a pirate, and pirates used dirty tricks. The waitress Makino came up from the cellar of the bar, bringing the keg of beer for the pirates. After giving the keg to one of the pirates to open it she asked Luffy if he wanted to eat, and Luffy, although still sullenly from been tricked by Shanks asked for some meat.

Halfway through his meal good mood returned to Luffy and he decided to talk to Shanks.

- Hey, Shanks, how long are you going to stay here?

Shanks stopped eating and turned to face Luffy with a serious expression on his face.

- Well... it has been a year already since we started to use this town as our base, so... I think we'll set sail a couple more times, maybe three or four, but no more than that, and then leave the town...

Luffy spoke to no one in particular.

- A couple more times, huh? I'll sure learn how to swim by that time!

Shanks smiled at Luffy and picked up his spoon to continue eating.

- Alright! Good luck, Luffy!

Suddenly the doors of the bar swung open and a dozen of men came in. The tallest one chuckled under his breath and then said out loud.

- So, this is what pirates look like? This is the first time I've seen pirates. They look pretty dumb to me.

The man walked up to the bar and spoke to Makino.

- We are bandits. But we're here not to cause trouble, we just wanna buy ten barrels of sake.

Nervous, Makino replied quietly.

- I am sorry, but we ran out of sake...

The bandit leader looked around and spoke to Makino again.

- That's very strange. But then what are they drinking? Is it water?

Makino shook her head.

- No, it's sake, but that is all that is left...

Before the bandit could say anything else, Shanks apologized for finishing all the sake by themselves and offered a bottle of sake to the bandit.

- Here, if you don't mind take the last bottle.

The bandit smashed the bottle Shanks was offering him.

- Who do you think I am, huh? I am one of the prime fugitives here, my head is worth eight million beli!

The bandit showed the wanted poster with his picture that confirmed his identity and his bounty.

- See this, you cocky bastard? I am Higuma, I've killed fifty-six people before. Now that you know who I am don't ever mess with me again. Mountain bandits and pirates don't mix well after all.

He turned and walked out, but stopped for a second at the doors to insult Shanks and the others one last time.

- What chickens...

Luffy didn't even scream at Shanks and the others, for letting the bandits make fun of them. He was too angry at them. He just sat there, clenching his fists, but a chest attracted his attention.

Luffy pulled the chest to himself and opened the lid.


End file.
